Mike Parisi is closing in on the majors.
Background
Mike Parisi was drafted in the 9th round of the now infamous 2004 draft, out of Manhattan College. Parisi racked up plenty of K’s with his big curveball in the MAAC for the Jaspers, (272 in 243.2 innings) but had some control issues that needed ironing out. Fun factoid: Parisi was a battery mate with Nick Derba in his final season for Manhattan. He also majored in Physical Education in college. Thank God he’s in baseball, I’d hate to see his lanky legs in gym teacher shorts.
Performance
Parisi debuted in short season New Jersey, and posted a 3.39 FIP over 36.1 innings, striking out 26 to 6 walks. He was promoted to Peoria and was impressive, putting up a 2.98 FIP in 35.2 innings. He struck out a batter per inning while improving his control. He impressed his managers at both levels with his breaking ball and “pit bull” mentality. Gruff. John Sickels ranked him the Cardinals # 20 overall prospect in a very thin year. Sickels ranked him the Cardinals 20th best prospect.
In 2005, a 22-year-old Parisi started his season for the Quad Cities. He gave up quite a few hits (98 in 86 IP) but did well overall. He refined his control, walking just 6.7% of the batters he faced while striking out 17.6%. After 14 games for the QC, he moved up to the PB to start 13 games in sunny Florida. He allowed 79 hits in 78 innings, posting an identical walk rate as he had with the Swing. He also missed a few more bats, fanning 19.1% per plate appearance. Over 27 starts, Parisi didn’t wow anyone, but he proved himself to be a durable, dependable arm while successfully moving up the ladder. In his 27 starts split between the two teams he had a 129/47 K/BB in 164 innings, allowing 177 hits. Going into 2006, Sickels ranked him 18th overall and gave him a C+ grade.
Parisi kept movin’ on up in 2006. At age 23 he posted a 4.60 ERA over 27 starts for AA Springfield. His K rate declined some (15.9% K/PA), his walk rate spiked (9.4%) and he was imminently more hittable, getting tagged for 168 hits in 150.2 innings. With help from his sinker he did do a fair job of keeping the ball in a hitter friendly park. 48% of his balls in play were of the ground ball variety. He actually started the season missing bats at an insane rate, but batters soon got wise to his ways. He also showed a noticeable platoon split. Lefties pounded him for a .306/.377/.466 line, versus right handed batters hitting .259/.331/.337 against.
BA ranked him the team’s 24th best prospect going into this year, but AAA was not too kind to Parisi. He allowed 192 hits in 165 innings-but do remember that Memphis’s defense scary bad last year. Still, a 5.17 FIP is a 5.17 FIP, which is what he had. Parisi had 111 K’s to 65 walks and a decent 47% ground ball rate. He’s been miserable in the first inning, every batter turns into Ryan Braun in their 1st AB against Parisi-hitting .345/.390/.619 against. I’m not sure why that is, but he may need to tweak his pre-game routine habits. But the overall results aren’t necessarily an accurate reflection on his season, as lboros noted the other day, Parisi improved as the season progressed. That moves me to my next subject.
Scouting
Derrick Goold might be getting tired of seeing FR in his incoming links section on his WordPress dashboard, but Bird Land has been chock full of delicious morsels and tidbits since spring training started. In one of his latest dishes, he wrote about Parisi at length and how he was trying to make his curveball into 15 different pitches, rather then trusting his fastball to set up the curve. Parisi started journaling his games, picking apart what worked and what didn’t work against his various foes. With some, it was his sinker that got an out. With others, it was the curve that worked. It’s an interesting read that tells me about his willingness to learn and adjust. As far as more details on his repertoire go, here’s Mike Parisi on Mike Parisi from an interview at Viva circa 2006:
My main pitch is a two-seam fastball, a sinker. I throw that about 92, 93. My curveball is definitely my second pitch. I throw three different types of curveballs. I throw a slow one, that’s kind of like a get-me-over pitch. Then I throw a harder one that’s kind of like 12-6, and then I throw another hard one probably about 80 miles an hour that’s more of a slurve. it starts out at a righty’s hip but then breaks over the outside half. And then I have a changeup, which is kind of a new thing for me.
I’ve seen Parisi recently. You can too, actually. Memphisredbirds.com is replaying all of last year’s games for free. He does have a pretty nice hook, and he can locate it where he wants more often than not. I can see why he’s had difficulty trusting his fastball. It has velocity and movement, but he doesn’t always locate it down in the zone. His sinker gets up at times, leading to doubles and homers.
Outlook
Not much to say here that you probably haven’t already concluded yourself. He’s knocking on the door to the big leagues, and he very well could be the first guy up in a pinch. He hasn’t embarrassed himself so far in spring training. I think with his teachable attitude he could hack it as a decent option at the back of the rotation, or a decent swingman.
Filed under: Mike Parisi, prospect profiles
erik
azruavatar
fewgoodcards
roarke49
theredbaaron
I realy wish they would give him the 5th starting job. He wont be lights out but thats not what you get from your 5th starter. I Just think he could do what Todd Wellemeyer and Brad Thompson do but for an extra inning a game.
A “non classical” look: Parisi, as his family name suggests, is of Italian roots. The name Parisi is classical from italian Sicily, expecially from the Messina area. People from that area are known for their pride, they are very clever and live competing against Catania (another city in Sicily, the nearest gig city), and Reggio Calabria (just on the other side of the water between Sicily and Calabria), so for them competition is everyday business.
I believe that Mike is showing some traits of his roots, if this holds true, his brain and his pride can really take him far, even without overwhelming stuff.
GO CARDS!!!
Good we get a Parisi profile now as he might not be a minor leaguer for long. Along those lines, I´d do McClellen next before its too late.
I wonder if Parisi can play for Italy in the Olympics?
I don’t get it. To me Parisi seems to be one of those guys who has been around long enough and been consistently unspectacular enough at enough different levels for us all to conclude that he will never be a successful major league pitcher. There’s got to be more to him than his “pit bull mentality” that keeps him on the radar. (If that was enough my Jack Russell Terrier, Rookie, would be negotiating a big time contract with the Cards. I’d get my ten percent as his agent and never do social work again.) Even the scouting reports seem luke warm but they all expect him to make the show. What am I missing?
he has a good sinker and a very good curve, decent enough command and the ability to make adjustments. no one is saying he’s a world beater. but he could be a decent and cheap #5, or middle reliever.
I’m not too optimistic. You see too many guys who do well in the minors not pan out or not end up being the aces they were projected to be. I find it hard to see someone who hasn’t really had much success above A-ball have any success in the majors. If he doesn’t do better this year, I’d rather see him be switched to the pen and see if he can improve on his numbers then.
like i said earlier, no one expected him to be an ace. i just think he could end up serviceable. i don’t think his ceiling is very high, and it’s a coin flip on whether he even reaches that. despite that, i still think he merits some interest.
“He’s not excluded. Right now, do I 100 percent think he’s ready to pitch in the Major Leagues? No, I don’t. But I think he’s close enough to be looked at under the circumstances that we’re in.” — Duncan on Mike Parisi, who is contending for a starting rotation job
Looks like he might have a shot, i hope he does. . . i would really like to see what the kid can do
he throws 96 with good movement. has a nasty breaking ball and on top of that has a workhorse mentality. he’s also always trying to get better, looking to make adjustments and win games. he’ll turn some heads, and be a pretty decent big league pitcher.
well ive played against mike back in high school (Sachem) and ive seen him play and honestly i dont see the big deal i could think of at least 40 other pitchers that would be of better use for the team but hey thats just one guys opinion…
Well I believe his time has come. I received a phone call today from the man himself. He got the call to the big show, details to come. . .
mike is an animal. he has a level head and is always willing to learn. rifter39, i played with him in college for 2 years, and he was a thrower. i have spoken to him plenty of times in the past several years as he’s been moving up the minors. he has his head on straight and has a pitbull mentality. he won’t give in, and that might hirt him a little, but he has defitintely turned himself from a thrower to a pitcher. he’ll be just fine. he just needs some casual shoes for traveling. 65
It is understandable to think that because of Parisi’s numbers through the minors, that he might not have great major league success, but the thing is, with the kid Parisi, he is a big game pitcher with mental toughness beyond his years.
Mike is a good family friend of mine and I have witnessed his dedication to becoming the pitcher he currently is. I remember a time during his high school years where his father would always be yelling at him telling him to practice, and one day it just clicked. Mike has been on a mission since Day 1, and I really believe that it’s just now all coming together.
His numbers at Memphis Triple-A are skewed before his call-up to the Cards..he was 2-1 with an ERA under 2.8 before his last start against Salt Lake where he knocked around a bit…stemming from a fly ball that could have been caught. The fact of the matter is, Mike got called up and he was suggested by Memphis to be that guy…he has a live fastball/sinker, a nasty hook and an above average change and he can hit his spots when he’s settled in and the nerves are gone
I don’t know many youngsters who have not been working out of the pen in the minors, to be able to get called up to the bigs, come in his 1st inning and pitch a beautiful debut. Followed by a kid who gets into trouble with 2 outs and has that mental toughness to not let the nerves get the best of him and finish up the inning against the middle of a good NL lineup.
Parisi would make an excellen 5 guy for the Cards, you aren’t expecting fireworks from a 5 starter, but someone who can go out there and battle for a solid 5, 6 innings. Mike has proved he can battle.
Throw Piniero on the 15 day DL, the guy is not healthy I think that is evident…let Parisi be that spot starter for Piniero see what the kid can do, after all, the Cards view him…exclusively as a starter.
I don’t get it either. This guy has been pounded at almost every level: He does not hit 96…. maybe 92-3. The guy is 25, a career minor league era of 4.33 & more importantly 644 hits in 584.1 innings. It should not be a surprise that he’s getting pounded in the BIGS. The worst hitting team in the NL (Nats) just hammered him. Send him down. He’s a roster filler at AAA– or maybe AA.